Butternut Squash Ravioli

Butternut Squash Ravioli
plain pasta dough
butternut squash
egg yolk or water
additional seasonings, as desired:
butter/oil
herbs
spices
salt/sugar, pepper
maple syrup/honey

First, cook the butternut squash. I like to roast mine by cutting the squash in half, scooping out the seeds, wrapping in foil and baking until tender. The squash could also be steamed or boiled but this will add a little excess moisture which is not ideal. When roasting you could add some oil, butter, seasonings, sugar, honey or maple syrup; or just add all the flavorings after cooking. 
Mash/puree the cooked squash to desired consistency and allow to cool.

When ready to assemble, roll out the pasta dough in long thin sheets. Place rounded teaspoons or tablespoons of squash filling on the dough, spaced evenly apart. Quantity of filling and spacing will depend on size of ravioli. Brush egg yolk or water around the squash filling. Place another sheet of pasta dough on top. Press down around the filling to seal. Cut out the ravioli. Place on a sheet pan dusted with flour.

When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and simmer (a full rolling boil may cause the pasta to break) until just tender.

Butternut Squash Ravioli, Chickpeas, Sage Butter, Herb Foam

• Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli
• Spiced Roasted Crispy Chickpeas
• Sage Brown Butter Sauce
• Herb Foam

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Roasted Spaghetti Squash
spaghetti squash
butter
salt
pepper
nutmeg
minced garlic
chopped parsley

Cut spaghetti squash in half and wrap in foil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast at 425◦F until just tender. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard, then use a form to pull the flesh into strands. Toss the strands with the remaining ingredients. 

Roast Beef

• Roasted hip of beef
• Caramelized onion and old cheddar mashed potatoes
• Wilted spinach
• Roasted cherry tomatoes
• Spaghetti squash
• Dijon sauce
• Watermelon radish

Sauteed Patty Pan Squash

Sauteed Patty Pan Squash
patty pan squash, halved or quartered
salted butter
vegetable stock
fresh thyme
salt
pepper
nutmeg

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the squash and sautee until they just begin to cover Pour in some vegetable stock, cover, and allow to simmer for a few minutes until squash are tender. Season to taste with thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 

Roast Hip Of Beef

• Roast hip of beef, rubbed in rosemary thyme butter
• Horseradish and sour cream mashed potatoes
• Sauteed patty pan squash
• Roasted baby carrots
• Maple balsamic glazed purple radish
• Whiskey green peppercorn sauce

Roasted Patty Pan Squash

Roasted Patty Pan Squash
patty pan squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
oil
salt
pepper

This hardly qualifies as a recipe and hardly needs an explanation but here it is.
Toss the squash in oil, salt, and pepper, arrange on a baking sheet and roast in a hot oven until tender.

Pattypan squash are a type of summer squash, kind of similar to a yellow zucchini but looks more like those little gourds you get around Halloween/Thanksgiving time. They are small, round, and yellow with scalloped edges and sometimes called "spaceships" or "flying saucers".

Roast Pork Loin Dinner

• Spiced roasted pork loin
• Sour cream and grainy mustard mashed potatoes
• Honey glazed carrots
• Caramelized apples and red onion
• Roasted patty pan squash
• Brown sugar apple cider gastrique

Fall Pot Pie

Flaky puff pastry dough + sweet squash lentil apple filling + sliced apples seasoned with cinnamon and salt, arranged in a bowl and baked until crust is golden, apples are soft, and filling is hot and bubbly. This is a super delicious dish that is sweet enough to be served for a healthier dessert but also great for lunch as well. These pies can be made as big or as small as you wish. Nuts or other fruits can easily be added.

Thanksgiving Dinner Canapés

Thanksgiving Dinner Canapés
caramelized red onion biscuits
butternut squash purée (or alternately sweet potato purée)
cranberry chutney/sauce (chunky, whole berry, not jelly and preferably homemade)
pickles

I baked my own vegan biscuits, adding in caramelized red onions to the dough for more flavor. I put my purée in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and piped a swirl onto each biscuit. Then I topped with a dollop of cranberry chutney, and cut my pickles into little half-moon shapes for a garnish.

I think this canapé is quite colorful and something different - more rustic ingredients presented in an elegant way. They were very much appreciated. The flavors balanced very well together - the purée and onions were sweet, the biscuit and pickle salty, the chutney tart, and the pickle acidic. Someone told me the pickle absolutely makes the canapé. I got inspiration for this hors d'oeuvre from Thanksgiving dinner ingredients.

Roasted Asparagus and Butternut Squash Risotto

Roasted Asparagus and Butternut Squash Risotto
olive oil
diced onion
arborio rice
white wine
boiling water
saffron
smoked paprika
ground turmeric
table salt
cracked black pepper
roasted asparagus (seasoned with oil, salt, pepper)
roasted butternut squash (cut into large cubes)
truffle oil
*quantities depend on the total quantity you wish to make and your personal tastes

Heat oil in a wide saucepn over medium heat. Cook onion without browning until transulcent. Add rice and cook for a few minutes to toast. Pour in some wine and cook au sec. Then add the water, a little at a time, stirring until rice absorbs almost all the liquid. Then add more until rice is cooked to desired tenderness. Season to taste. Ensure the asparagus and squash are hot and stir them in, taste and adjust seasonings. Finish with truffle oil.

This is an upscaled risotto recipe I cooked for a crowd. I wanted to make it vegan, but didn't have any vegetable stock on hand. I discovered using water works as long as you season the dish well. The saffron, tumeric, and squash add a nice orange color. You could of course use whatever vegetables tickle your fancy, but I like the combo of these too. The saffron and truffle oil can be expensize so they can be omitted, but they really help to upscale this meatless dish.

Spaghetti Squash Supreme

Here is a spaghetti squash dish that is more reminiscent of spaghetti than squash. The vegetables add some texture and the sauce adds flavor. Vary it as you wish, this makes a quick and simple side dish.

Spaghetti Squash Supreme
1 medium spaghetti squash
sliced mushrooms
chopped onions
tomato sauce
oil
spices

Cook the spaghetti squash until tender. This can be done in the oven or even on the barbecue, but i did it in the microwave. Just be careful not to overcook it like I did. It should be tender but not mushy, as you want strands and not mashed squash. 
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pot. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until tender and browned. Stir in the sauce and spices and simmer. 
Pull the squash into strands and add to the sauce mixture. This may be served immediately, covered and simmered to cook longer or keep warm, or covered and placed in the oven for a while. 

Grilled Spaghetti Squash

What do you get when the autumn season weather lingers a bit longer, yet the harvests of winter are beginning to appear? Grilled winter squash. That's right - take a vegetable that's meant for the winter seasons, and prepare it using an outdoor barbecue or grill, the preferable cooking method of the summer season. Sound a bit ironic? Who cares, it certainly is tasty!
Spaghetti squash never fails to amaze me. You cook a vegetable, then pull a fork along the cooked flesh and it comes out in strands and looks exactly like spaghetti! No other squash does that. You could definitely fool people into thinking it is actually pasta, especially if you serve it with a pasta sauce. You can cook squash just as you would pasta; al dente, soft, or well done.
This dish is really simple to prepare, and the squash does not even require prior cooking. Simple wash the squash, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds. Brush it with a little oil, and place it cut-side down on the barbecue. Cook it as you like it! Then pull it off the grill and grab a fork to pull it into spaghetti strands. 

Pecan Honey Butternut Squash

To go with our codfish supper, it is the perfect time of year to cook some squash as well. This is some fresh butternut squash, homegrown by my aunt, who was kind enough to give us some. I wanted to do a little something different with the squash, instead of simply cooking it. I also often cook squash in the microwave, as I find it takes too long to bake in the oven, and will become more tender in the microwave. Here is what I did:
Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds.
Place cut side down in a microwaveable dish and pierce all over with a fork.
Cover and microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Scoop the flesh out from the skin and place in a small casserole dish. This can be cubed for firmer squash, or mashed for more tender squashed, or simply scooped out as is. 
Cover dish and place in a warm oven to keep warm.
Melt a little (1-2 Tablespoons) butter or margarine in the microwave.
Add a handful or two (1/4-1/3 cup) of chopped pecans. Microwave for a minute or so until pecans are toasted and butter is absorbed. 
Stir in 1-2 Tablespoons honey.
Add a dash of nutmeg, ginger, or allspice.
Sprinkle over squash. Bake a little longer if you want, to heat it through and make the squash more tender, or serve immediately!

Pecans may be toasted in the oven or in a frying pan for a deeper flavor if you prefer, but the microwave is much quicker. 
Any leftovers are great reheated!

Roasted Fall Squash

The other night we roasted our first squash of the season. In past years, I went on a mission to try every different type of squash I could find. I tried acorn, spaghetti, butternut, buttercup, and pumpkin. I liked them all for different reasons. I bought all of these squashes at the local farmer's market. Squash is a good winter food, as they can keep for a few months in a cool, dark place. There are such things as summer squash as well, such as zucchini, but I usually don't think of those as squash. I have only really tried two methods of preparation for squash: roasting it in the oven and microwaving it. Both work well, but you need to make sure it is roasted for a long enough time to become tender. Usually I eat squash either plain, or with brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and/or cinnamon. Squash is one of those foods that can be prepared with sweeter ingredients  just like sweet potatoes. You can even make candied squash. Squash is fairly easy to prepare and serve, as it does not require much preparation work. It also goes well with many meals, we ate ours with a roast chicken dinner. It can be added to many different dishes as well, including soups, casseroles, pastas, pizzas, breads, and muffins. This is a picture of a small piece of squash we recently enjoyed sprinkled with brown sugar. Doesn't look like much, but it sure was tasty!

Pumpkin

Well, squash season is here, Halloween is approaching, and pumpkins are beginning to appear all around! 

I love pumpkin! 

Here are some recipe and cooking ideas featuring pumpkins.

• Pumpkins are great fun to carve, stencil, decorate, or paint for Halloween. The big pumpkins that are sold for decorating purposes are not great for eating. The flesh is much too tough and stringy, but the seeds are perfectly fine for roasting and eating.
• The tiny pumpkins sold under names such as "pie pumpkins" and "sugar pumpkins" are good for eating. The flesh is much softer and smoother, and can be prepared just like any other squash. Fresh, cooked pumpkin can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes.
• Pumpkin can be microwaved, baked, boiled, broiled, grilled, steamed, fried, or sauteed. It can be chopped and incorporated into a variety of casseroles, soups, and stir-fries. It can also be used in sauces, gnocchi, risottos, and quiches.
• Cooked and pureed pumpkin is equivalent to canned pumpkin puree (pure canned pumpkin that is, some canned pumpkin contains other squashes or spices as well). It is a bit more work to use fresh pumpkin rather than just opening a can, but for some recipes the fresh taste is completely worth it.
• Pumpkin puree is excellent in a variety of baked goods. It adds nutrients and keeps things moist without lending a strong flavour. Pumpkin puree can be used in breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, biscuits, squares, pies, and loaves.
• Fresh pumpkins may be stored in a cool, dry place for a month or two. Cooked, pureed pumpkin can be frozen in airtight containers for future use.
• Pumpkin goes extremely well with raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, herbs, and spices.
• My favourite ways to use pumpkin are: pumpkin chocolate chip loaf, pumpkin pie squares, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and pumpkin with pasta.

PHOTO CREDIT: "untitled." http://mommygoesgreen.com/2009/10/pumpkin-recycling/. Pumpkin Recycling, n.d. Monday, October 3, 2011

Squash

Well, we are getting into the fall weather, and that means the squash are coming out. Summer squash, also known as zucchini are tapering to an end, and winter squash are appearing. There is a wide variety of deifferent winter squashes available, each with its own wide variety of uses. Sqquash is actually quite versatile, and easy to prepare and store, although often squash is not given a second though.

COMMON TYPES OF SQUASH: Acorn, butternut, spaghetti, pepper, hubbard, buttercup, pumpkin, and turban squash. You can also find: banana, carnival, sweet dumpling, and golden nugget squash.

My personal favourite type is pumpkin, for its availability and versatility in many baked goods. I also really like buttercup, and spaghetti as an alternative to the pasta.

USES FOR SQUASH: Most types of squash can be used in a variety of baked goods, such as loaves, mufffins, and pies.
Every squash can also be prepared in almost all of the following ways: baked, broiled, steamed, mashed, microwaved, boiled, pureed, roasted, fried, and grilled.
In particular.........

• Pumpkin is great for pie, muffins, loaves, breads, and even cookies. It is also good for stews, casseroles, and sauces.
• Spaghetti squash actually can replace spaghetti in dishes.
• Acorn squash is best alone with a Thankagiving meal (in my opinion).
• Buttercup squash is delicious on its own, but a dash of brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup really enhances its sweetness.

Do not fear the squash. I encourage you to try a new kind this season!


- Squash.” http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/cooking-tips/Ingredients101/Vegetables/Squash.aspx. Kraft, n.d. Tuesday, September 20, 2011  PHOTO CREDIT: "Big Market Squash." http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=.jpg Start Cooking, n.d. Tuesday, September 20, 2011